Bruno Guimares pushed Lucas Paqueta towards West Ham United move
West Ham United broke their transfer record to sign Brazilian attacking midfielder Lucas Paqueta from French side Lyon in a £50million move.
The 25-year-old has already started to make his mark at the London Stadium where he is tasked with helping David Moyes’ side climb the Premier League table after a slow start to the campaign.
He was initially unsure whether the Irons were the right choice for him but Newcastle United playmaker Bruno Guimares was able to convince him that he needed to make the move to the English top flight.
“Bruno told me the Premier League is a great competition and was very complimentary about West Ham,” Paqueta said to The Times. “He told me it was a great club and difficult to play against. I just joked and said, ‘They’ll be even more difficult when I am there.’”
“It’s the best league in the world and I don’t think anyone doubts it. The Brazilians talk about that. The ones who are here say to the others, ‘You have to come — you’re playing in a league that is the absolute best level, a different level to elsewhere.’”
Thank you
Moyes and a few others at West Ham probably owe Guimares a pint now that this has come to light because this may be the most important transfer the club make in many years.
It is the first sign of intent that the Hammers are going to carry on pushing to try and become engrained within the top six and regulars in European competitions.
It might not happen this season after a slow start and very strong sides elsewhere in the mid-table area but having kept a hold of Declan Rice and Jarrod Bowen, there are few teams as good as Moyes’ on their day.
It will take more than just the 25-year-old for West Ham to bridge that final gap to becoming a European regular though and the board have to keep backing the manager whenever he asks for a new signing.
Things are looking good at the moment but momentum can quickly disappear and that is the last thing that the Irons can afford to happen.